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Updated on
February 27, 2009,
J.Z.
asks from Justice, IL
on
January 20, 2009

Seeking Help with Eczema

I have two children ages 1 and 2 that I believe have eczema. My daughter had it when she was a new born, but has gone away for almost two years until just a couple of weeks ago. She is spending a lot of time scratching her self all over and her skin feels very rough. Similar to how it felt when she had eczema as a baby. My son is not scratching, but has the same rough skin. I would like to do what I can at home to help with this before I take them to the doctor. I would like to avoid having them on a prescription lotion if possible. I have read that I should limit there baths, as they now get a bath every night. I am at battle with their father because he believes they do not need bath every night. Turns out he might be right. Baby Aveeno body wash and lotion for Eczema used to work very well for my daughter when she was a baby. Is there any other helpful advice that anyone can give me? I would appreciate any other information.

Featured Answers

D.S.
answers from Chicago
on
January 21, 2009

Hi J.,

My 10 month old son has Eczema. His Pediatrician said we should bathe him every other day and apply Eucerin Original Creme (not lotion) to his skin daily. The Creme is very thick and needs to be worked into the skin, but it has helped.

I have used the Cetaphil for about a year on my 7yr old and it works great. If you have the ability to do so apply the lotion very liberally 3X a day for 1 week and then go to 1X a day or as needed. Do this ecspecially when it breaks out really bad. Use the bath soup/bar soups as well, they really do work. My sons takes more showers now as he is getting older but when he took mostly baths and would do so M,W, & F unless of coarse he got really stinky dirty from being outside or in an outside sport/activity. Good luck to you!

Hi J.! My son also has eczema and I use Dove soap for his baths, and His doctor told me to use Eucerin on him twice a day so I put it on him in the morning and also at night. I cannot bath him everyday or even every other day at times because that will cause it to flare. I also use aquafor at times. Different things work for different people but Dove and Eucerin works for him!.

More Answers

T.P.
answers from Chicago
on
January 21, 2009

All 3 of my kids suffer from Eczema, they got it from me. My doctor suggested Vanicream and it has been great. You have to get it from the Pharmacist but it is not a prescription. Make sure they give you the lotion and not the sunscreen, although you may want the sunscreen for summer. We still use a prescription steriod when it gets really bad but the Vanicream has worked so well that we don't have to use the prescription that often. We tried Eucerin and Cetaphyl and the Vanicream works the best so far.

My 10 month old son has Eczema. His Pediatrician said we should bathe him every other day and apply Eucerin Original Creme (not lotion) to his skin daily. The Creme is very thick and needs to be worked into the skin, but it has helped.

Eczema is typically a sign of a secondary food allergy, just a way for the body to react what is going on internally. Typically dairy or nuts/peanuts are the culprit, dairy is the number one reason. I have had several friends that eliminated dairy and the eczema went away. They bathed their kids in either baking soda or California Baby products every other day. The other thing is you may want to get a shower filter that filters our chlorine as that may make the condition worse. Stay away from products that has mineral oil as that clogs up the pores not allowing the skin to breathe. When you are do bathing, pat dry, to do not rub dry. You can use CA Baby lotions too and buy them at Target or Whole Foods. "Is This Your Child?" By Dr. Dorris Rapp, www.drrapp.com discusses food allergies and eczema in her book, it is a great book to have on your bookshelf. She is also on YouTube back in the old days of Oprah.

We had this problem with both of our kids. The doctor recommended putting hydrocortizone on the rough patches and then Aquapore all over. The only lotion we are able to use on our daughter is Aquapore. Since we started doing this their skin feels so much better. Haven't had any problems since doing this.

I don't know if you heard about Renew Lotion from Melaleuca. This lotion works miracles. It's great for eczema, dry skin, sensitive skin, psoriasis and rosacea. Let me know if you have anymore questions about it, but I helped so many moms with it. Everybody likes it so much because is a natural way comparing to what doctors will give you.

I've been recently introduced to Homeopathy and have been very impressed with treating my family for colds, insect bites, etc. naturally.

My friend treated two of her children by seeing a Doctor of Homeopathy (Dr. Polich) with 100% success. Please see the newsletter and photos. Dr. Polich's website is www.dupagehomepathic.com and is in Naperville.

My son had very bad eczema as an infant and up until about 1 1/2 years old. He had bad food allergies that we found out about then. Ever since we eliminated his allergens from his diet, his skin has cleared up completely. We did use Aquaphor and lotion to help before he was tested, but he always seemed to have a couple of patches that would not go away. But after he stopped eating the things he was allergic to, it all went away. I don't know if your kids have shown any tendencies towards food allergies. Best of luck.

It may just be very dry skin due to the cold weather. I would try to skip a bath and do it every other day. Also use a good lotion for dry skin twice to three times a day. In the morning and either after the bath at night also. My kids skin looks and is very rough and that is what I do. Try that before putting any prescription lotions on them. I have eczema and my hands crack and bleed and scab. My sister use to have it very bad as a child and she required a pill and prescription to help her. She use to have scabs all over her body. She bathed everyother day and used a special soap when she bathed. It use to be on her head also. That is why I beleive that its just very dry skin. She had it year round and was always worse in the summer months when she would sweat. She also used Eucerin cream and I use that on my kids to help with their dry skin. Good luck to you hope this helps.

I agree with the other moms. I read some of the responses but not all. Maybe I didn't read far enough but I also wanted to suggest putting a humidifier in the children's rooms. Both of my children have eczema. I only bathe them every other day or every two days. However, I do wash the crevices and put lotion on every night. I know some people say Aveeno, but, that seemed to dry them out more. We use the Eucerin lotion but if they are extremely dry we use the Baby Eczema cream you can by from Wal-Mart or Target, etc. I believe the brand is Gentle Naturals. Also, don't use any lotions, shampoos, or laundry detergent with fragrance. Good luck!

I agree with Paula K...try to eliminate the "dirty" products...you'd be surprised at how many beauty and household products have parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, etc. Also, petrolatum-based products will only be a quick fix and ultimately rob the skin of the ability to keep itself moisturized.
California Baby is a great line - the calming cream (not the calming lotion which is not as thick) totally got rid of my daughter's eczema.
I also limited baths esp in winter, and I used real rolled oats in the bath (put a bunch in cheese cloth and make a "loofa" type thing to rub the skin gently).
good luck!

Hi J.! My son also has eczema and I use Dove soap for his baths, and His doctor told me to use Eucerin on him twice a day so I put it on him in the morning and also at night. I cannot bath him everyday or even every other day at times because that will cause it to flare. I also use aquafor at times. Different things work for different people but Dove and Eucerin works for him!.

Hi J., My son and husband eczema and suffered with this horrible skin condition for 5 years we went to dermatologists used every cream and lotion out there, nothing worked, it would always come back. Just like a few of the moms said in their response, Renew Lotion made by Melaleuca WORKED! I was so impresses that it not only took it way but Kept it from coming back! Its truly a wonderful product! Its also been documented to heal Rosacea, Psoriasis and dry skin from Diabetes! I use it on myself and my little ones everyday, Its not greasy and smells great! Check out their website at melaleuca.com and take a tour, I'm working in partnership with them because of the awesome products they have and what its done for my family! If you have any questions feel free to give me a shout! Take Care, L.

Hi J.,
Good luck with your daughter's eczema, so many young children are suffering with it. My husband has eczema and we finally have found something that works after many years of dermatologist visits, cortisone creams etc. The product is called Renew and it has totally changed our lives. Renew has been proven to be 7 times more effective than Eucerin for treating excessive skin dryness and roughness. The cost is under $10 for an 8 oz bottle and it is highly concentrated. Please contact me, I would love to tell you how to get this amazing product.
R.
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We encourage people first to eliminate any toxins that my be touching the skin - laundry products with questionable ingredients, shampoos and lotions. Shaklee has a wonderful line of nontoxic products. A detoxification program is then the next step. We have found Shaklee's Alfalfa, Optiflora (probiotic) and a few other products helpful for that. I am currently working with a mom whose 5 year old has had eczema for years. I should have more of to report in 4-6 weeks.

I myself get eczema flare-ups from eating nightshade vegetables, as some kind of allergic reaction. Nightshades are tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, tobacco. Maybe try to see if there is an association between eating them and flare-ups. Other foods can cause it as well, such as allergies to dairy or wheat. The best way to find out is to avoid the food(s) for at least a week, then reintroduce and look for reactions within 4 days.

Omega-3 deficiency can also worsen or cause eczema. Supplement with fish oils or omega-3 vitamins. Carlson's makes quality chewable ones if they will eat them. For the moment I give my kids chewable gummy omega-3s from Costco.

No, I don't give them baths every day either, they need the natural skin oils. Sometimes even using lotions can worsen eczema. Coconut oil is good for skin as well as lavender essential oils in the bath (a couple drops). If dryness is a problem making it worse, run a warm mist humidifier in their room.

I found a company that has some really great products that work great on eczema that are natural and are safe for use on infants and young children. You DO have to become a member in order to get the preferred customer discount, but it is quite inexpensive to do so. If you'd like a little more info on the company, drop me a line at ____@____.com.

My youngest two children have had problems with eczema as well. Eczema is usually an allergic reaction to something you eat. While I was breastfeeding, I had to cut out dairy and nuts, and that seemed to take the problem away completely. Now that they are on solids, there are certain foods I avoid, and that seems to keep the problem at bay.
Also, Cetaphil makes a cream that is smooth but not greasy, and really helps with the dry patches. I love it!
Good luck!

Hello J., I have 2 boys they both had eczema for years. They are 10 and 7 now- however I would try Aquaphor or Eucerin cream (not lotion). My boys grew out of it, thank godness. I would give them and oatmeal bath twice a week and a regular bath the other 2 days a week. Also try the lotion "Vaseline intensive care-Aloe and other naturals"., that worked for my older son. Good luck-

Search for a Melaleuca consultant---they have wonderful products and some of them actually help the source of the eczema, and some of the lotions help with the eczema. Sometimes it is allergies to the laundry products you are using, which was the case with my grandchildren, and the products helped a lot...Renew was the name of the lotion and it is only available from melaleuca.

My 4 months old son had a pretty bad case and doctor said to put aquaphor on at EVERY diaper change. He was a greasy little baby, but it completely cleared it up in a matter of days. (The trunk of his body was flaming red and the skin was peeling off - started with tiny rough bumps and went to bright red overnight.)

We bought the tub of aquaphor and use it daily now to ward off additional flare-ups.

We also wash him with eczema wash that I found at Target - I don't recall the name but it has Whinnie the Pooh characters on the front of the bottle and the bottle is a light/mint green.

Hi-
Both of my girls have eczema. It has come and gone thoughout thier lives. We control it by not bathing every night, only every other night. We use Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap. All the laundry is done in Cheer Free, with Downy Free softner. When the eczema flares up we use hydocortizone cream(OTC), and Cetaphil Cream lotion twice to three times a day on affected areas. When it is not flaring, we just use the Cetaphil cream lotion once a day. The key to managing eczema is keeping thier skin hydrated, and minimizing irritants. Good Luck.

A.-Mother of three. Son is 15yrs, and two daughters are 9yrs and 4yrs.

Limiting baths is true, although hard for us as adults to take sometimes. My Dr. supported that when my kids were little too. My son has always had eczema, he's 11. We use Cetaphil bar soap and Lubriderm lotion. In the winter they need the moisturizer all the more.Your kids are still small enough that 3 - 4 baths a week would be fine, and just wipe their faces and hands and such each day/night. Also I was told their baths should not be too warm or too long and you should pat them dry with a towel instead of really drying off. Apply lotion while skin is still slightly damp is best to hold in the moisture. Also check your detergents and such and eliminate scented things. Hope this helps!

Hi! I have had the same exact problem with my youngest son, who will be 4 in a couple of weeks. When he was a newborn, he had it, then it disappeared until this winter, which is a very bad winter. I definately use aveeno lotion, and I also buy aveeno oatmeal bath, and that is really good. You can just let them soak in it w/o washing them w/ soap cuz it's naturally cleansing. My oldest son is almost 10, and my pediatrician has always said to never bathe them everyday. Maybe just wash their little crevises, which you probably do anyway! My little guy with the rough skin only gets bathed about every two days. Especially in the winter when your not using bug spray or sunscreen, they really do stay pretty clean!! Also, try using dove soap instead. That works very well also!!

Hi J.,
I have something to share with you that helps with the condition of your children. Please send me an email on when it's a good time to contact you with you cell number. I can show you via internet.

Hi J.. My son who is 6 months old has eczema also. His dr recommended 1% hydrocortizone cream that can be boufght at walgreens, target, etc etc. So far it works great I put it on him at night and morning. I asked his dr about the baths and he said bathing has nothing to dowith it. Thats my drs opinion though. However he did say going from indoor to outdoors can call eczema. My son only has it on his cheeks.

I can relate to this! My older son had it when he was an infant. It went away for about a year but now it comes back when his allergies are bad in the summer, and it gets really bad. After going to an allergist and the ped and combining all of their suggestions, we finally figured out a solution that works good for us.

I would strongly suggest not bathing them everynight. Any kind of soap is going to irritate it, so you want to keep it to a minimum (every other night). Also, the Aveeno Oatmeal bath packets work awesome. Just let the child soak in the water for awhile and that's it. You do not use any soap and they get moisture from the oatmeal.

For the iching and scratching, use an OTC hydocortisone cream. I also found the Eucerin healing ointment works real good. It's like a lotion but it heals the eczema.

I suffer from Eczema, and I swear by 100% Shea butter. It's the only thing that helps in between using my prescription lotion, which I try to keep to a minimum.
I get mine from L'Occitane. You can find it online or at their stores. A large tin is pricey, but lasts a very long time.
They also make the most amazing hand cream with 20% Shea butter. In fifteen year, I've never found anything to work better next to a prescription.
Sorry if this overlaps others responses.
Good luck,
E.

there is a natural remedy you can try. Shikai lotion available at Whole Foods and online at Vitacost.com is borage oil and supposed to be helpful for eczema and other skin issues. You may also be able to find it at Vitamin Shoppe

definitely stay away from petroleum, sls, and parabens. your skin is your largest organ. anything you rub on it is absorbed into your bloodstream. it's best to not use chemicals especially on little ones.

Hi J.- I have dry, sensitive skin and the only thing that helped me was cutting out as many chemicals in the products that I used as possible. Little by little I replaced cleaning products with more natural brands like Seventh Generation, etc., I've replaced makeup, soaps, shampoos, with products that have short ingredient lists and ones that do not include harmful chemicals like parabens. This cleared up all the dry patches that I used to get completely. My 3 yr. old son also has sensitive skin and I have had a lot of luck using Burt's Bees body/shampoo wash with him. I've tried Aveno with him in the past but after becoming aware of ingredients to stay away from, Aveno was off of my list. Unless my son is totally dirty, he does not get a bath every night.

J., I got a lot of advice when I posted here about 8 months ago... you may find some more ideas if you look for those responses. Son developed eczema when 2 months old. We tried all sorts of creams and lotions, and stopped using soap & shampoo on him. I also did this intense elimination diet since he was only nursing. Ultimately, we found he is allergic to eggs and that's probably it. So, with the elimination of eggs and no more soap, the eczema is mostly under control. We bath him about once a week, and "spot clean" in between, and he hasn't had his hair washed in 9 months. His hair looks fine and it makes me realize we overrate soap! Oh, also, a lot of people find fish oil helps. I can't tell, but it's good for lots of stuff anyway, so we use it.

Hello. My 13-month old has eczema. He had is as a tiny baby and it just flared up again a few weeks ago. We were told to limit baths to 3 times a week and make sure we use moistuizer on him. We use Aquafor by Eucerin and it seems to be working great! Our doctor also said we could use Vaseline. We were trying other lotions and the Aveeno oatmeal bath and nothing seemed to make a difference. We were also given a perscription to apply just on the spots on his body but were told that even the 1% hydrocortizone cream would be ok. Hope this helps!

My son has eczema, worse in the winter, worse when he was younger, he's 7 now. It wa so bad the folds on his neck cracked & bled. The dermatologist we saw recommended daily, lukewarm 15-minute baths (not hotter, not longer, too drying). He gave us a prescription for Elidel, which helped, but then I freaked out about the cancer reports. We found natural solutions w/ creams & ointments from Earthworm Herbal, a small company, hopefully its still around, try googling it. Now after his bath we leave his skin dampish & slather with olive oil, I use on my face, neck, & hands too. Soaks right in. My skin is as thin & dry as paper & the oil keeps my hands from cracking open in the winter.

Hi J.,
My friend had the same EXACT problem with her daughter's skin. She started using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser followed by the Cetaphil Cream right after the bath. Within a few days it was gone and has never returned because she uses these products religiously. RE: bathing every night...if that is your routine and it works to get your kids down at night...I wouldn't mess with it. Kids learn to expect certain things to get them to settle down at night. If you change it, it might mess up your bed time ritual. You can get it at Costco, CVS or Walgreens...Good luck!

I agree with Mary that it may just be dry skin. I would still handle it the same way though, decrease baths-I do every other day for my DS. Also, we've had great success with the Cetaphil line (you can get it at walgreens, costco, target, etc). We use the gentle cleanser in the bath and the cream in a tub (better than a lotion) after. I use the cream myself and it really prevents most of my own eczema flare ups. Also be sure the kids are drinking enough water-being dehydrated won't help dry skin problems either.

Hi Jen, I read all of the posts and no one mentioned freederm. I found it on the internet when I developed eczema as an adult. Its great and developed by a Mom when her child got eczema. There is a whole story about how she developed it. They don't bug you for buying more later, its seems to be a great product and an honest company. Just look up www.freederm.com, and or just google freederm it will come up that way also. Take care A.

My girls both have the same problem. Our doctor said a bath every 3 days (more if they need it). The bath water should be warm not on the hot side.

Lotion, she told us to use Dr. Bobby found at LMNOP, Little Threads, on line, and at Snippets or kid snips (I don't remember which one). Lately, it's been really bad so we started using Precipitation by Origins. Get the one that is fragrance free because the fragrance will sting if they are super dry. Put lotion on them every time you change their diaper. We use the cortizone cream when we just can't get rid of a patch. Do not use the cortizone and the other, use one or the other.

Also, if you have not done so yet, limit or remove dairy from their diets and see if that helps. My daughter loves cheese, so there is no getting rid of it in our case but I do know people who have had good luck w/ that.

lots of good advice - Watch for triggers - for my grandaughter - red food dye is a biggy. keep a journal on everything to find out - triggers can be foods, soaps especially laundry soap anything. My kid brother - we had to wash any new clothes before he could wear them because the sizing would set off an episode. Patience and good luck.

Hi J.!
My 4 year old boy suffered with eczema until about a year ago. Food intolerances were the culprit. We also reduced baths/showers to every other day.
Some children don't tolerate foods high in salicylites such as apples, grapes, berries, tomatoes, pickles, cucumbers, peaches. Once I eliminated these foods - his eczema cleared up in 9 days.
We ended up signing up for the Feingold.org diet which compiles food lists of foods that don't use harmful additives, synthetic ingredients, colors and preservatives. Gluten restriction has also helped.
I know right away when something bothers him - a rash usually coming back after 2 hours of eating a "no no".
As far as ointments and body wash - most have colors and fragrances so I switched to California Baby sensitive body and hair wash and the Whole Foods brand fragrance free shower gel.
Good luck!
S. in Lisle

I have been plagued with eczema my whole adult life, and unfortunately, both of my kids get it every once in awhile. Especially in the winter and after swimming. My best advice is to keep the area well hydrated and don't use any harsh soaps (some of the children's soaps are the worse) or perfumed lotions. My dermatologis gave me Cetaphyl samples for my son and they seem to be doing the job. I haven't had to shop for the products yet, so I'm not exactly sure where you can get them. But I'm sure the drugstores will have them. He uses the wash & the lotion. Apply the lotion immediately after washing and then another 2-3 times a day. The Aveeno eczema wash & lotion are also good, but I seem to be having better results with the Cetaphyl.

You are so right to try and seek natural solutions first! There are definitely some options. What time of cleaning products and laundry detergent do you use? Non-toxic cleaning products can make a huge difference, especially in the laundry where the kids are smelling chemicals from the detergent on their clothes all day long. Shaklee's Get Clean line is nontoxic and very concentrated so it works, is safe and saves you a lot of money. We also carry natural baby wash and lotion that is so much safer and better than anything you can buy in a store. I'd love tell you more and could even give you samples if you'd like.

Your husband is definately wrong. Kids DO need a bath, every day. They have little smells tha find nooks and crannys to hide in. Besides you're teaching them good hygiene behavior. The cold winter is very rough on the skin. I had to change my laundry soap to Dreft (if they still make it). It was the most mild for babies and young ones. Also, any good lotion will get rid of the hardening of the skin. I use Body & Bath hand lotion. Lotion them 1-2 times a day and cover the arms and legs to let the lotion soak into their skin gently. Also, when they're covered up, they tend not to scratch as much and their little nails can't scratch the area raw. Good luck mom.

Your husband is correct. A one- and two-year old doesn't require a bath so frequently. With their dry skin I would limit baths to no more than twice or three times a week til it clears up. They really don't get dirty in this weather. I highly recommend Eucerin cream (not the lotion) or a store brand - they are usually right next to it on the shelf. It's really thick cream that is mostly lanolin and really is great. I use it every day on my dry hands, elbows and knees and used it for my girls when they had dry skin.

Try a bath every other night and lube them up nose to toes in Eucerine. My boys both had it as babies and occasionally now. We keep them buttery with the lotion, and it hasn't gotten bad in a long time. When it was at its worst we lotioned them up twice a day, when they got dressed in the morning and jammies at night. We had a rx for cortisone for our oldest but I did the Eucerine instead and it really, really helped.

Arbonne has botanically based vegan products for children called ABC baby line that works great for eczema, cradle cap, baby acne,... Usually eczema is bad this time of year, especially with temp changes. Good luck.

J.:
I congratulate you on not wanting to go onto the prescription lotion as that is only a "band aid" fix and really doesn't address what is the underlying problem. I agree whole heartedly with the other posters about possible food allergies, but especially to what you put on their skin and what you bathe them with. There is a 100% organic line of babycare products that is absolutely awesome and has no chemicals, dyes, fragrances, nut derivatives, mineral oil (that's a bad one in almost all babycare products), preservatives, etc. You cannot get it at the stores, it is from Miessence, an Australian based company that has the highest standards for quality. I'd be happy to send you some information as it was founded by a mother who made all of her products in her kitchen for her children as she knew what all the OTC brands contained and didn't want them on or in her family's bodies. You will find success and I'd be happy to help. Best to you,

Hi J. Z, it has been suggested by my pediatrician that my daughter may have eczema as well. Her skin is very rough but it has always been suggested that I give her a bath every other day if not every two days. Ofcourse I wipe her off every day with a wet rag so I can get what has fallen in those adorable rolls of hers. As far as moisturizing what has helped me is the Mom and Baby Balm from L'Occitane. It is a little on the pricey side but well worth it. One small tub is $20 and the larger tin is $40. It has been the only thing to soothe her red itchy dry spots. If that is not in your budget believe it or not Crisco has been suggested by my sister in law as an alternative to me. Hope this is helpful. Goodluck.

when my oldest was a baby..he is now 20, he had the worst case of eczema the dermatologist had ever seen! he gave us a prescription ointment to clear it up, but told us not to bathe him everyday. just wipe him down with a wet cloth. also, we used good old fashioned vasoline to slick him up! it really did the trick. the dermatologist we saw was Dr. Kemp at Dreyer clinic.

My 10 year old has Eczema that has come and gone over the years, too. When it's bad, I don't bath her everyday. That does seem to help. I use Dove for sensitive skin bath soap, anything scented makes her worse. Nevia lotion seems to be the best for her - especially the thick kind that comes in a jar. It is kind of greasy when I first put it on but it soaks in after a little while. Maybe this will help your little ones, too.
Good luck

I have battled with eczema and allergies all my life too. Limit the time length of the baths and the temp of the water, drink lots of water during the day and keep the house moist if you can (add a humidifier to their rooms at night maybe). You may want to try and add some baby oil to the water to help soften their skin, but be careful as it makes the kids like greased pigs. Also, use Eucerin lotion a couple times a day. Frequency is better than the amount when using lotion. Don't feel that you have to put large amounts on them each time, but do use it frequently throughout the day. Keep an eye out for allergies too as your kids grow up as eczema is often a precursor. I was born with the eczema, but didn't develop allergies until I was 10 (or at least that was when I was diagnosed). Good luck.

Hi J.. My sister's daughter has excema and my 8 month old son also has it to a lesser degree. My sister has taken her daughter to a dermatologist at Children's Memorial. She does have a prescription for a steroid cream that she puts on when the excema becomes flared up--itchy and red. The doctor says it is important to use this or else the skin can become infected. In addition, she puts lotion all over her daughter's body at least twice a day. She recently started using a creme you can get at Walgreens or CVS called CeraVe. It comes in a tub. She gives it rave reviews.

My son's doctor tells us to use Cetaphil for washing him in the bath and to not let him play in the bathtub. The less exposure to water, the better. She also gave us a prescrip for 2.5% hydrocortisone cream, but so far we having just been using the 1% you can buy over the counter at the drugstore. We just use it on his cheeks when they get really bad. Apparently you are not supposed to use it too often because it can thin the skin. Our doctor also recommended Eucerin creme (in a tub) and Baby Lizard for sunscreen. I am trying the CeraVe right now instead of the Eucerin. Not sure yet how they compare.

I have to say I agree with your husband that they do not need baths every night; frequent and lengthy baths for both children and adults can be very drying (a good lotion immediately afterward helps 'tho).

Regarding the excema, a friend in Boston turned me on to Arbonne's ABC line; it worked! (I did not want to apply prescription steroid creams that I felt were not healthy for the long term and the products you mentioned were only a short term fix for us).

Fast forward to the fact that I now have my own business with Arbonne alongside raising (3) children. If you want a FREE sample of this ABC line, sign my guest box via my website below or simply reply to this message.

Many Mamasource contacts have purchased this set from me after learning the Arbonne Difference. But there are no obligations for you to do so if given a free sample.

Hi J., Try Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema creme (see link below). This works great. Trust me, I had 2 goddaughters and a godson who all had eczema and this works so fast. This is best for after baths. For itching and bad flare ups try generic hydrocortison cremes. They have 1% cortison in them. If a doc gives you a prescription for this creme it will usually be like 1.5% or 2%, this can sometimes be too harse for baby skin. Hope this works and skip a few baths until it clears up. In most children it goes away and does not return and is very common. Also a cold compress works to calm the itch no matter the source. Good luck!!
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100361&a...

I second the comments on Aquaphor- it works great but it is pretty greasy so I used it just at night and Eucerin lotion during the day- also if a patch is really bad, 1% hydrocordisone cream. My doctor told me that it was fine to bathe everyday, just keep it brief, the water not too hot and don't use irritating soap. I used to use either Aveeno oatmeal soap or Dove. I also would notice my kids' eczema get worse with allergy triggers, too. Good Luck!

Hi, I'm a new mom to a 4 month old. About a month ago he had a terrible rash on his face and his skin was dry and scaly everywhere else. We bought a humidifier. We applied Aveno lotion often. Didn't help. We brought him to the doctor and she said we should get his allergies tested as I had stopped eating diary and that didn't help. The allergy tests showed an allergy to peanuts. I've recently stopped eating them (as I'm breastfeeding) and his skin seems to be getting better. We LOVE the aquaphor healing ointment. It works wonders but you need to put it on often, along w/ the Aveeno. We give him a bath every other night and put baby oil in the bath water and then slather him w/ lotion prior to dressing him. I would think about the allergy testing. Otherwise, the Aquaphor should help. Good luck to you!

Hi J.
My 8 year old son has had problems with eczema since he was a baby and i was told at childrens memorial to use only dove soap because there is no perfume in it and it won't dry his skin even more and I also was told to use eucerin cream or lotion it has always helped him because his skin is very dry. every since I took there advise no one can tell that he even has it or ever had a break out, and the baths are good for children I also have my children to take baths every night just after the bath put the lotion on there skin so it will have some moisture and there skin is not dry. I'm not sure if you know or not but eczema is a form of asthma that come out in your skin my son is the only one with the eczema and my other children has asthma. Good luck hope this helps remember nothing works over.
night.

My 8 year old son has had eczema his entire life. He only takes showers and it is every other day. I also only use fragrance free soaps and lotions on him. Eucerin or Aquaphor work very well and I put it on as soon as he gets out of the shower. Another thing I do is use only Free and Clear laundry soap and fabric softners. He seems to be growing out of it as he gets older but the winter months are still bad for him. Hope this helps.

My daughter has had eczema since she was a baby and now she is 3. I tried everything her doctor told us to do but nothing really helped. I have now brought her to a pediatric dermatologist from Childrens Memorial. My daughters eczema flares up more when the weather is warm. I can give her a bath everyday but its in and out. I actually started giving her a shower. Then you have about 3 minutes to get lotion on her. Do not towel dry. I use aquafore which is like vasaline. I use it in the morning and at night time. If this does not help, you should see a specialist for some other kind of ointment for the trouble spots. Always have their nails clipped so they don't scratch so hard. I have been dealing with this a long time so I know how you feel. Hopefully our kids will outgrow it. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!

Our daughter had bad Eczema as a baby, we found that bathing every other day and using California Baby products made a HUGE difference, we still use their products. You can buy some of their products at Target and some organic/natural stores, also their website to buy direct is www.californiababy.com They are more expensive than Aveeno and other lotions/bath washes, but their products are wonderful and I feel worth the money - Hope this helps! :)

Same problem here. My dr. said to continue to give a bath every night...just to limit the time to under 10 minutes and to keep the water luke warm. She recommends this b/c areas affected by the eczema can be raw and it's important to keep the skin clean to prevent germs from infecting the affected areas of skin.

Also, I was told by the dr. to use plain dove bar soap and either lubriderm or eucerin lotion a few times a day. When an area seems really dry I put a dab of aquafor on to keep it moist.

My 2 year old son had the same issues with the rough dry skin. I changed his detergent from Dreft to 7th Generation and/or Eco "clear and free" and I saw an improvement, but noticed he was still getting some patches on skin that was not covered by his clothing. So, I started washing the whole family's clothes with the 7th Gen and Eco. I noticed that you use the Baby Aveeno. Another thing that helped was bathing my son with the Aveeno Baby fragrance free body wash with the "dark blue" cap but not the "light blue" cap. I do use the daily moisturizing lotion with the "light blue" but it is fragrance free. One other thing, my son would have a reaction to some diapers. I found he could only use Pampers brand. I was using Luvs and Huggies for a while and he would start scratching his little back. Once I made those changes, the problems with the dry patches went away.

Be encouraged, it will get better. I was freaking out when my son started having these patches, but once you find out the source, it is very likely you will see a turn around.

Eucerin cream works really well for Eczema and I know others that use Cetaphil. My son has had it since he was born and Eucerin works well. In the winter months it gets worse because its cold so sometimes we have to use hydrocortizone but thats rare. We haven't had to take a trip to the doctor in years for any prescription medication.
The bathing every night should probably stop. My son is now 11 and in the winter months he only bathes 3 or 4 times a week. In the summer is a different story because he's out playing alot :-) but that has helped break outs from occurring.

I know you 've gotten a lot of great advice, and I concur with the Eucerin Aquaphor. that really helped my 4 year old. My older son has it pretty bad as well and since he is 14 and doesn't want to go around like a "greased pig" we found another product that really helps. it is from Arbonne and is called the Arbonne Intelligence Skin Conditioning Oil. It has done wonders for the more severe eczema my older boy has had and it works well on the little flair ups my younger one experiences. I think you can get the Arbonne product online as it is one of those home show products. (works great on preventing peeling from sunburns too!!)

My son had eczema when he was a baby and we always treated it with hydrocortisone 1% cream. Always took the flare ups away. It did go away all together eventually but now it has come back and he is 2 1/2. I know the cold doesn't help. I make sure i use a lotion for sensitvie skin and use the hdrocortisone cream. Been working like a charm. Good luck

Aside from the food allergy ... I have two sons that have skin issues. One of them has very itchy skin, to the point where he scratches until scabs form. I have found that if I put cetaphil cream on him every other night, he does not scratch. My other son actually has patches of ezcema. I have tried the prescription lotions, but they did not help. The thing that I did find out to help is applying Aquaphor on his patches daily. It has really helped, the patches are no longer, but I still apply it frequently to prevent an outbreak.

My daughter is almost 5 months old and her skin is horribly dry and I asked my cousin and her doctor and they both told me crisco...yes crisco from your kitchen. I then heard it on the today show a few days later. My doctor said he trained for a short time with a dermatologist and they told him to use crisco...we have been using it and it works! And it is cheap!!!

I have used the Cetaphil for about a year on my 7yr old and it works great. If you have the ability to do so apply the lotion very liberally 3X a day for 1 week and then go to 1X a day or as needed. Do this ecspecially when it breaks out really bad. Use the bath soup/bar soups as well, they really do work. My sons takes more showers now as he is getting older but when he took mostly baths and would do so M,W, & F unless of coarse he got really stinky dirty from being outside or in an outside sport/activity. Good luck to you!